Pet play house

• US 4,177,761 A
• Filed: 09/30/1977
• Issued: 12/11/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Louis Bellocchi Jr
• Original Assignee: Louis Bellocchi Jr
• Inventors: Bellocchi, Louis Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chamblee, Hugh R.
• Application Number:
  US05/838,100
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 119/19, 119/1, 119/29
• US Class Current: 119/482
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/033 Cat or dog houses
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/035 Devices for use in keeping domestic animals, e.g. fittings in housings or dog beds

Abstract

A pet play house utilizes an enclosure supported by rubber-like feet affixed to the exterior lowermost surface thereof. An opening is provided in the side wall of the enclosure through which the pet may ingress and egress the cavity formed thereby. A lid is slidably attached to the open-mouth portion of the enclosure. The lid is provided with an opening therein of sufficient size to allow the pet to reach a plaything or catnip, affixed to the free end of a wire-like spring material whose other end is slidably engaged to an upright dowel secured to the outermost lateral surface of the lid and extending upwardly therefrom.

Claims

1. A pet play house apparatus comprising a plurality of walls, a base, said walls fixedly secured to said base, said walls defining an open-mouth portion opposite and above said base, a unitary opening in said walls whereby a pet may pass there through into the enclosure formed by said walls and said base, a lid, means to slidably engage said lid with said walls whereby said lid may be disposed entirely covering said open-mouth portion, said lid having an access opening therein, said access opening being smaller than said open-mouth portion, a dowel, one end of said dowel fixably secured to an exterior lateral surface of said lid, the other end of said dowel extending upwardly from said lid, a wire-like element, means to slidably frictionally engage one end of said wire-like element at selected locations along the length of said dowel, a toy, said toy carried by the free end of said wire-like element, said toy being located adjacent said opening in said lid.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base and said walls are a unitary apparatus.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein further comprising at least one rubber-like foot, said at least one rubber-like foot being fixedly secured to a lowermost lateral surface of said base.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means to slidably frictionally engage comprises said one end of said wire-like element having a helical-like shape, said helical-like shape configured so as to frictionally engage the exterior surface of said dowel.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means to slidably engage said lid comprises at least one groove, said at least one groove located in one of said walls, said at least one groove extending parallel to said open-mouth portion, said lid having a pair of legs, a first portion of said legs extending downwardly from an uppermost lateral surface of said lid, a second portion of said pair of legs extending inwardly from said first portion, said second portion configured to reside in said at least one groove.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said toy comprises a rubber-like material.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said unitary opening comprises a rectangular opening.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said unitary opening has a lowermost marginal edge thereof positioned residing above the uppermost lateral surface of said base.